The present invention is related to applications Ser. No. 10/064,688 entitled xe2x80x9cMethod And System For Mitigating False Alarms In A Tire Pressure Monitoring System For An Automotive Vehiclexe2x80x9d Ser. No. 10/064,694 entitled xe2x80x9cMethod And System For Detecting The Presence Of A Spare Replacement In A Tire Pressure Monitoring System For An Automotive Vehiclexe2x80x9d Ser. No. 10/064,695 entitled xe2x80x9cMethod And System For Automatically Extending A Tire Pressure Monitoring System For An Automotive Vehicle To Include Auxiliary Tiresxe2x80x9d Ser. No. 10/064,687 entitled xe2x80x9cMethod And System Of Notifying Of Overuse Of A Mini-Spare Tire In A Tire Pressure Monitoring System For An Automotive Vehiclexe2x80x9d Ser. No. 10/064,690 entitled xe2x80x9cMethod And Apparatus For Identifying The Location Of Pressure Sensors In A Tire Pressure Monitoring Systemxe2x80x9d Ser. No. 10/064,692 entitled xe2x80x9cTire Pressure Monitoring System With A Signal Initiatorxe2x80x9d Ser. No. 10/064,691 entitled xe2x80x9cMethod And Apparatus For Automatically Identifying The Location Of Pressure Sensors In A Tire Pressure Monitoring Systemxe2x80x9d; Ser. No. 10/064,689 entitled xe2x80x9cMethod And Apparatus For Reminding The Vehicle Operator To Refill The Spare Tire In A Tire Pressure Monitoring Systemxe2x80x9d filed simultaneously herewith and incorporated by reference herein.
The present invention relates generally to a system for monitoring tire pressure in an automotive vehicle, and more particularly, to a method and system for automatically eliminating warnings after filling the tires.
Various types of pressure sensing systems for monitoring the pressure within the tires of an automotive vehicle have been proposed. Such systems generate a pressure signal using an electromagnetic (EM) signal, which is transmitted to a receiver. The pressure signal corresponds to the pressure within the tire. When the tire pressure drops below a predetermined pressure, an indicator is used to signal the vehicle operator of the low pressure.
Various tire manufacturers have suggested various locations for the pressure sensors. Known systems include coupling a pressure sensor to the valve stem of the tire. Other known systems and proposed systems locate the pressure sensors in various locations within the tire wall or tread. Tires are mounted to wheels that are commonly made from steel or aluminum.
When the tire pressure monitoring system detects a low tire pressure situation, the vehicle operator is directed to remedy the problem. Such problems are remedied by replacing the low tire with a spare tire or filling the low tire to increase the pressure therein. Known systems must be manually reset to update the system. Such manual resets are time consuming and are thus undesirable.
It would therefore be desirable to provide a system that automatically updates the system after a tire is filled.
The present invention provides a system and method for automatically resetting the tire pressure monitoring system when a tire pressure has increased due to the vehicle operator adding pressure thereto.
In one aspect of the invention, a method for automatically updating due to an increase in tire pressure due to filling comprises: generating a warning status signal in response to a low tire pressure, generating a pressure reading when the tire pressure increases a predetermined amount, thereafter, resetting the warning status signal when the pressure reading is in a normal operating.
In yet another aspect of the invention, a tire pressure monitoring system for a vehicle includes a warning status memory having warning statuses therein and a plurality of tires in respective rolling locations, each of said plurality of tires having a transmitter. When one of the tires has been filled with air the controller receives a pressure signal from one of the tire transmitters generated in response to a predetermined increase in pressure. The controller clears the warning statuses from the warning status memory when the pressure signal is in a normal range and, thereafter monitors the tires in the rolling locations and generates warning statuses therefor.
One advantage of the invention is that the system does not automatically assume that the low tire pressure was the one increased. New warnings are immediately provided after replacement with the spare or tire fill.
Other advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent when viewed in light of the detailed description of the preferred embodiment when taken in conjunction with the attached drawings and appended claims.